General Comments

44 entries in Illusions / General Comments
Creators Title Comments & References Year Source Page AA Categories
Carl Willmann Illusionen
Jan. 1895
Die Zauberwelt (Vol. 1 No. 1)
10
Friedrich W. Conradi-Horster Zick-Zack photograph of Chevalier Thorn with illusions "Der dupierte Spiritist" and "Avatar"
 		Nov. 1904
Der Zauberspiegel (Vol. 4 No. 11)
182
Harry Lorayne Illusions General Comments
 		1972
Tarbell Course in Magic — Volume 7
90
Patrick Page Magic Spectaculars general comments on illusions
 		1976
The Big Book of Magic
255
Jack Hughes How to Make a Spring Hinge
1981
Jack Hughes World of Magic — Volume One
73
Karrell Fox The "Utili-Base" Illusion Concept using one base for multiple illusions that are put on top
  • Number 1: Temple of Benares
  • Number 2: The Doll House
  • Number 3: The Haunted House
  • Number 4: Production from four stacked boxes
  • Number 5: The "Mismade Girl"
  • Number 6: "Carnival" Sword Box
  • Number 7: "Cutting a Girl in Sixths"
  • Number 8: "Toyland"
  • Number 9: "Costume Crate"
  • Number 10: "Jill in the Box"
  • Number 11: "Send in the Clowns"
  • Number 12: "The Hindu Basket"
  • Number 13: "The Magic Top Hat"
 		1986
For My Next Trick...
141
Harald Kurz J - Jack, the Ripper on stage illusions
 		1991
Hardcore
34
Jim Steinmeyer An Introduction to Illusions Alan Wakeling and illusions
  • With the Great Dante
  • The Dantes and the Art of Illusion
  • A Magic Circus
 		1993
The Magic of Alan Wakeling
141
Jim Steinmeyer A Career in Illusion intro about Alan Wakeling's stage illusions
  • With Mark Wilson
  • Inspirations and Originations
 		1993
The Magic of Alan Wakeling
271
Jim Steinmeyer Appendix commented reproduction of some of Alan Wakeling's sketches for illusion ideas
  • Pure Energy
  • Costume Trunk
  • Stack of Boxes (Okito)
  • The Tea Canister (Okito)
  • Find the Lady
  • Giant Rising Cards version
  • Black and White (Dante)
  • Floating and sinking ball on water
  • Crushing Illusion with two tigers
 		1993
The Magic of Alan Wakeling
335
Gary Ouellet Illusions
1996
Magic on TV - Performance Secrets
12
David Charvet Twins on using twins in magic illusions
 		June 1997
Magic (Vol. 6 No. 10)
56
Dondrake Building a BlackArt Backdrop Black art curtains
 		1998
Black Art Breakthroughs
12
Dondrake Using the Right Material
1998
Black Art Breakthroughs
14
Dondrake BlackArt Lighting How to do lighting on stage for black art illusions
 		1998
Black Art Breakthroughs
15
Dondrake The Wizard's Curtain Three different ways to set up a stage for black art illusions
 		1998
Black Art Breakthroughs
16
Jim Steinmeyer Ten Best Illusions of the 20th Century
Jan. 2001
Genii (Vol. 64 No. 1)
62
Paul Osborne Touch 'Em Up! tip on painting metal hinges, more tips on following pages:
  • Hey Who Turned The Lights Out?
  • The Aubrey Hinge
  • Blade Bashing!
  • Spike The Stage!
 		June 2001
Genii (Vol. 64 No. 6)
26
Günter Puchinger Entwicklung eines Illusionseffektes article about the development of Mini-Kub-Zag
 		2001
Intermagic (Vol. 24 No. 3-5)
182
Dennis Phillips, Paul Osborne Million Dollar Platform
  • Osborne Illusions
multi-purpose base
 		Feb. 2002
Genii (Vol. 65 No. 2)
22
Paul Osborne Sword Holders
  • Osborne Illusions
 		Feb. 2003
Genii (Vol. 66 No. 2)
18
Eugene Burger Violence in Theatrical Magic
May 2003
Genii (Vol. 66 No. 5)
24
Karl Fulves Introduction Siegfried & Roy accident, David Blaine's glass cage stunt, Bill Bennett, World Series of Poker, stage illusions, Charles Dickens Christmas story, Rufus Steele,
 		2004
Latter Day Secrets (Issue 9)
334
Jim Steinmeyer The Disembodied Princess
  • The Language of Illusion
 		Nov. 2005
Genii (Vol. 68 No. 11)
27
Jim Steinmeyer The Garden of Sleep
  • The Language of Illusion
Asrah
 		Jan. 2006
Genii (Vol. 69 No. 1)
26
Jim Steinmeyer The Gorilla Crushing
  • The Language of Illusion
Alan Wakeling illusion
 		Mar. 2006
Genii (Vol. 69 No. 3)
38
Jim Steinmeyer The Ethereal Suspension
  • The Language of Illusion
 		May 2006
Genii (Vol. 69 No. 5)
40
Jim Steinmeyer Dissecting Palingenesia about Thoma William Tobin's illusion
 		Sep. 2006
Genii (Vol. 69 No. 9)
60
Jim Steinmeyer Will, the Witch and the Watchman
  • The Language of Illusion
 		Jan. 2007
Genii (Vol. 70 No. 1)
46
Jim Steinmeyer Million Dollar Mystery
  • The Language of Illusion
 		Nov. 2007
Genii (Vol. 70 No. 11)
36
Jim Steinmeyer Robert Harbin & The Polemics of Modern Illusion
2009
A Tribute to Robert Harbin
2
Jim Steinmeyer The Author's Foreword
2009
Technique & Understanding
23
Jim Steinmeyer Reminding & Deceiving "On Creating Theatrical Magic"
From the lecture at FISM, Dresden, Germany, July 1997
  • 1. Start with a Simple, Direct Plot
  • 2. Adopt a Point of View to Tell the Story, an "Angle" to the Plot that Gives it a Unique Approach
  • 3. Test Various Methods as Applied to the Plot
  • 4. Explore how the Plot can best Accommodate the Method
  • 5. Identify the Flaws in the Method and Evaluate their Impact
  • 6. Anticipate all Three Scripts, and Understand what the Audience will be Thinking at any Moment
  • 7. Adjust the Presentation to Clarify the Plot, Accentuate the Strengths of the Method, and Minimize the Weaknesses
Related to
  • 1997 lecture notes "Reminding & Deceiving"
 2009
Technique & Understanding
35
Jim Steinmeyer Five Terrible Ideas "...and how they revolutionized stage magic"
The Robert Harbin Memorial Lecture at the Magic Circle Centenary Celebration, July 2005
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
45
Jim Steinmeyer Why Amac Drank "...and other puzzles from the history of magic"
From the lecture delivered as guest of honor at the Magic Collectors Weekend, Chicago, May, 2007
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
57
Jim Steinmeyer Robert Harbin & The Polemics of Modern Illusion From the lecture at The Magic Circle Harbin Centenary Weekend, February 2009
  • A Simple, Clear, Memorable Plot
  • An Interest on Mythic a Level
  • Add a Twist
  • A Play, Not a Prop
  • Practical Apparatus
  • Interesting Apparatus
  • Practical Routine
  • A Way In for the Magician
  • At Least Three Beats to the Climax
  • A Stage Surprise, An Additional Punctuation
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
69
Jim Steinmeyer Nowhere "The Bridge System"
effects using a bridge whose pillars are concealed by two assistants
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
177
Jim Steinmeyer The Nature of Empty "The Box as a Challenge"
  • Points of View
  • Points of Perspective
  • Dimensions
  • Hiding, or Accentuating, the Interior
  • Movement as Emptiness
  • Floor, Ceiling, Walls
  • Clarity Inside the Cabinet
  • Emptier if Something's Inside
  • In Motion
  • Proportions
  • Focus on Walls, Minimze Floor and Ceiling
  • A Foreshortened Pattern
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
241
Jim Steinmeyer Understanding Two Principles "The Wedge and its Progeny"
on wedge bases
  • Proportion, not Inflation
  • Form Follows Function
  • Always Wide, but Cleverly Small
  • When in Doubt, Furniture
  • Minimize with Multiple Elements
  • Form Follows Illusion
  • Maximize the Elements, Minimize the Cheats
  • Visual, not Simply Dimensional
  • Use Space Efficiently
  • Custom Designed for the Setting
  • New Techniques for Illusionists (Optical Wedge Table, Optical Slot Table)
 		2009
Technique & Understanding
257
Paul Osborne The Great Escape
  • Osborne Illusion
rolling platform to transfer people on and off stage
 		June 2010
Genii (Vol. 73 No. 6)
14
Alexander de Cova Zaubertisch mit einer Table Base table with base
Also published here Aug. 2014
New Avantgarde Magic (Issue 21)
725
Alexander de Cova Zaubertisch mit einer Table Base table with base
Also published here 2015
Burners — Vol. 2
253
Kelvin Cheung Some Thoughts on Creating Dramatic Stage Magic
2016
The Ace Assembly All-Star Lecture Notes
84
Jonathan Pendragon The Dynamic Duo(s)
  • Panmagium
"Holy Double Transformation Batman!"
 		Apr. 2019
Genii (Vol. 82 No. 4)
48